1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to lamp construction using light emitting diode (LED) technology to provide multicolor effects in pools and spas.
2. Description of Related Art
Pool lighting is typically provided by a watertight encasement mounted at one or more locations in the wall of a pool below the waterline. Generally, a clear incandescent bulb rated for 12 volt-ac is used. If a color effect is desired, the encasement must be removed from the wall surface and pulled above the waterline. After removal of the watertight lens, a colored incandescent lamp can be screwed into the lamp socket. The lens is reinstalled and the encasement is placed back into the wall. The pool owner then has a constant single color effect within the pool. Another method of providing changing color effects in water includes a device for an aquarium wherein fixed lamps in combination with rotating transparent plates of varying colors are used.
LED technology for water use is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,778 to Matthias et al. depicts the use of a single LED located at the end of a wire and placed within an aquarium at a desired location within or near an ornamental object placed inside the aquarium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,346 to Byrne depicts an LED lamp construction for adaptation to a traffic light for providing a low voltage light means for traffic signals. The colors are provided by the colored lenses generally attached to traffic signal lamps . . . are known in the art.
The aforementioned devices do not provide the ability to have a multicolor effect in underwater applications wherein the LEDs are sequenced to turn on predetermined arrays of different colored LEDs thereby providing a pool or spa owner with a dynamic multicolored illumination effect to his or her pool or spa.